Defense and Justification of Tithes and Infant Baptism, Argument and answer 37
The Anabaptiſts anſwer and concluſion.
I come now to your concluſion, which followeth in theſe words.
SIR, I might have added hereunto many Arguments from the Scripture to prove what I affirmed: but I judge them needleſs, ſuppoſing that what is here contained is ſufficient to convince you, or any rational man in the world of the Grounds and Reaſons of our Separation from your Aſſemblies. Vale.
John Darker
Tobias Watſon.
Mr. Bourn's Reply.
Friends: I ſee you are very forgetful of what you boaſted of in the firſt page of your ſheet of paper, That your Foundation Principles, (for as I underſtand you, it is the Principle of your own Church you ſpeak of) if you account your ſelves & your company a Church of God, That theſe your Foundation Principles have Scripture as clear to prove them, as the Sun at noon-day, withou… the help of Conſequences, or Illustration; but now it appeareth it was but a vapour: for let the Reader conſider and judge whether you have brought any one Scripture proof of theſe Points in Difference between us that is as clear as the Sun at noon day, without a conſequence or Illuſtration, I am ſure not one, neither for your firſt, ſecond, nor third Ground of Separation. Firſt, you ſpeak magiſterially againſt Infant-memberſhip, and accuſe us as if our Church were builded only of theſe, but you prove it not, and your places of Scripture are all conſequences; Ergo, &c. and ſo for your Second, your places of Scripture are all falſely applyed, they may belong rather to your ſelves than to us. And for your Third, which conſiſts of your Friend Haggars four legs, which you call Sandy Pillars, and Popiſh Foundations, if any ſhew of proof could have been, it muſt have been by conſequences, of which here you bring none, and ſo have neither proof, nor ſhew of proof: ſo that I may juſtly tell you what you had writ in your Paper, is not ſufficient to convince me, or any rational man in the world of the ſufficiency of the Grounds and Reaſons of your ſeparation from our Aſſemblies.
Therefore I hope if God be pleaſed to open your eyes to ſee your Errors, you will in Gods due time return to us again, I do not mean to joyn with thoſe Congregations, or Aſſemblies which are neither Reformed, nor Reforming, who take no care to ſeparate the pretious from the vile, Jer. 15.19.but admit all ignorant and ſcandalous to communion with them, whoſe Miniſters neglect Catechizing, that truly profitable and neceſſary work, to prepare people for a ripe-year Church-memberſhip, and comfortable fellowſhip with the Saints, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; 1 John 1.3.but to joyn with thoſe Congregations which are Reformed, and reforming, whether they be Presbyterial, Independant, or any other godly Miniſters, and Reformed Congregations, for if they be godly they are Brethren, Gen. 41.24.and will not fall out by the way, if they be of chriſtian peaceable ſpirits, and ſuch as love and deſire the peace and unity amongſt the Churches of Chriſt, which every faithful ſoul ought to pray daily for.
I leave the Reader to take notice of your VALE (it ſeems you will take your leave in Latine, though you find fault with our Humane Learning)
But I conclude with my humble and hearty Prayers to our good God in Jeſus Chriſt, that it will pleaſe him to open your hearts to attend not to the Doctrines of men, or humane Tradition, which they call New lights, but upon true examination will be found old E… to…s, 2 Tim. 3.5, 6, 7.which by means of your ſecret Meetings, ſeducing ſpirits have an eaſie way to draw you unto, yea to wicked hereſies; Gal. 5.20.too frequent works of the fleſh, ſcattered by divers of you amongſt poor ſimple ſouls, but that you may keep cloſe to the word of Truth, the holy Scriptures, not wreſted, 2 Pet. 3.17.and falſely applied as we ſee too many do to the great danger of their ſouls, and the ſouls of others. but according to the mind of the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaking in the Scriptures, and by plainer places giving light to underſtand thoſe which are more difficult: that being guided by that holy Spirit of Truth, you may walk as becometh the Goſpel of Chriſt, not in enmity againſt, but in peace and love with the godly faithful Miniſters of Chriſt in England, commonly ſo known and eſteemed, and in peace and love with the churches of Jeſus Chriſt, attending conſcionably upon, and at the publick preaching of the Goſpel, that you may receive ſtrength from Chriſt in Grace, and in the end (if it be the will of God) have communion with us, and all the Saints of Chriſt in glory. In the mean time let us pray with the Apoſtle Paul; Rom. 15.6, 7.Now the God of patience and conſolation grant that we may be likeminded one towards another, according to Chriſt Jeſus: that we may with one ſhoulder, one mind, and one mouth glorifie God, even the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; which is the earneſt deſire and Prayer of him who ſubſcribes himſelf, one deſirous to be found
A Friend and Servant to all the Churches of God in Chriſt Jeſus, Immanuel Bourne. Waltham in Com. Leiceſter, June 10. 1659.